Dedication to the Shadow
by Kamirose
Summary: When Shigure writes a book based on him and Akito, will their relationship grow, or weaken? Spoilers from vol. 17 and 18. Slight Akito x Kureno, mostly Akito x Shigure.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**

I do not own the series or characters.

This fanfic contains spoilers from vol. 17. If you don't like it, don't read it.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Bright, bright sunlight shone on the lids of Akito's eyes. The long lashes of the skinny woman lifted slightly off of her cheeks as the dark eyes shifted around the room, taking in her surroundings and looking for someone. Kureno. Where was he?

The young god's eyes filled with panic and her eyes snapped open. Kureno, who usually slept right beside her, was gone. Had he left? Had she been abandoned? "Kureno…? Kureno!" She cried his name, trying to hide her fear with an angry-sounding command.

The door slid open almost immediately, the form of Kureno in the doorway. He held a book limply in his left hand, his distant eyes carrying a slightly puzzled glint. "Akito…?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Akito spread herself on the floor, stretching herself out. "Kureno… come here."

Recognizing the girl's mood from her tone of voice, Kureno walked forward and knelt down in front of her. He had scared her by leaving the room. He had only gone to his own house to get a book to read, and heard his name being called frantically as he returned.

Akito reached out, draping her arms over his shoulder, somewhat pulling herself onto his strong frame. "Kureno… why did you leave?" There was nothing Akito feared more than being abandoned, and Kureno knew that.

Kureno looked slightly surprised at the question, but the look quickly left his face. "I was getting a book from my house. I was just returning when you woke up."

Although slightly relieved by his answer, Akito did not question him about that any further, merely thought to herself for a moment.

"_Don't abandon me!"_

The memory of that day returned in a flash. Still draping herself over Kureno's legs, she asked softly, "Kureno, will you kiss me?" She looked up into his distant eyes, those eyes which were no longer bonded to her. Would he do it? Probably. But would he remain so distant?

Kureno blinked at the question. After the initial surprise, his eyes softened slightly and the man leaned forward, kissing Akito tenderly.

Relieved, Akito's right arm slid up to the back of the former rooster's neck, her left hand moving to his shoulder, her eyes closed as she leaned into the kiss.

And then, the door slid open abruptly, a cheerful voice sounding. "Akito, I've come to visit -- hello, what's this?"

It was Shigure. He stood in the doorway, slightly -- no, _extremely_ annoyed to find Akito kissing Kureno.

The grip on Kureno's shoulder tightened suddenly, and the girl immediately pulled away from Kureno. She glared slightly at the author, who was doing his best to disguise his annoyance with a goofy, childish grin. "Haven't you ever heard of _knocking?_"

Not answering, Shigure issued his own question, saying, "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something? I can always come back later."

Kureno glanced between the two, knowing he was caught in the middle of this. He detached himself from Akito, standing. As the god's eyes grew wide, he said, "I haven't eaten yet today. I'll get us some food." He nodded to Shigure on the way out.

Shigure watched Kureno leave, a slight look of annoyance written on his features.

After the door slid shut, Akito fixed a cold glare on the author, annoyed at being interrupted. She had been secure that Kureno loved her and would never abandon her -- and then Shigure came waltzing in and had to ruin it. That was the most annoying thing -- Shigure _had _to be doing this on purpose, but Akito, the head of the Sohma family, couldn't stay mad at him. At once, the man's words from when they were children came to mind.

"_Shigure… do you love me?"_

"_I think of you more than any other. That is a definite truth. I love you, Akito…"_

"Akito?"

Shigure had been trying to get a response from the spaced out girl for a few moments. When she snapped back into reality, she said in a rather annoyed voice, "What?"

Adopting a slight smile, the romance novelist said in a joyful tone of voice, "I'm publishing a new book soon, and my editor advised me to write a dedication. I was going to dedicate it to you, Akito. I just thought you ought to know."

For some reason, this intrigued Akito. Shigure was writing a dedication to her? "What is this book of yours about?"

Shigure's response made Akito slightly nervous. A sly smile crept along his face, a smile rarely shown to anyone besides Akito and Hatori.

"It's a secret."

* * *

**Author's note:**

Hooray, a new fanfic. I thought it would be nice to do my own writing, as my first fanfic relies on my friend Jyss'ca to write Akito's part.

I thought this was a good cliffhanger to leave off on. Please read and review, criticism is definitely welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Author's note:**

SnoFlurri - Thanks for the review! Shigure/Akito is hard to write, but it's my favorite pairing, so I'm doing my best

Thanks for reading!

* * *

"I'm home!"

Silence.

Shigure sweat dropped as he got no response. After a few moments of wondering why no one loved him any more, sudden realization hit him. It was just after school, so they wouldn't be home yet anyway: Yuki had student council, Kyo was visiting Kazuma, and Tohru had to work. Shigure was alone.

Or so he thought.

As he walked towards his office, he blinked as he saw the door slightly ajar. Peeking through the crack, he sighed as he saw the person sitting in his chair.

He slid the door open noisily, causing the girl to jump. He said in a whiney tone of voice, "Rin, you're in my seat!"

The girl looked up from the draft she had been reading. It was his new book; the one he was dedicating to Akito. "Interesting book," she muttered sarcastically.

Smiling slightly, he moved to his computer chair as she rose out of it, her freshly-cut hair letting her slender shoulders show through her low-cut shirt. "If you keep wearing those outfits, someone's going to get the wrong idea, Rin."

"I thought you didn't write "dark" novels," the girl retorted. This newest book had a very dark, morbid tone, and the dedication in the beginning was cryptic and confusing.

As he lowered himself into the chair, he replied simply, "No matter. Did you need something, coming here?"

"I…" The girl's eyes were lit with determination. She looked up at Shigure, walking over to his desk, placing her palms on the edge and leaning heavily on it. "I can't stay with Kagura any more. Let me live here!"

Shigure blinked. That was an unexpected question. He'd half expected her to ask him about the curse again. He then smiled slightly, one eyebrow raised. "You know I can't decide that. Everyone who lives here, including myself, is doing so because Akito-san told us to. Besides, what's so bad about living with Kagura-chan?"

Rin's face seemed slightly disgusted. She looked down, muttering, "They're too… happy." She looked desperately at the author, saying, "Can't you convince Akito? He listens to you!"

At this, the author couldn't help but laugh. "If Akito-san listens to me, I wouldn't even be living here."

"Are you going to let yourself be controlled by him forever!"

At this sudden outburst, Shigure suddenly looked much more serious. A slightly annoyed look on his face, he said to her, "Nice hair. You can't do anything about Akito-san yourself, can you? No, you live in fear. Afraid he'll find out about Haa-kun, am I right?"

Rin's eyes widened slightly. Yes, Akito had cut her hair off while she was locked in the cat's room not too long ago. But how did he know that everything she did was for Haru?

Actually, it was rather easy to figure out. However, he would let her wonder for now. Sighing, he said, "I'll bring it up next time I see him."

Rin smiled slightly, moving back to a sitting position on the floor. She started to say something, but Shigure interrupted her.

"_Don't _say 'thanks'. I'll change my mind if you do."

Rin smiled slightly. Shigure acted much more like himself around her. It seemed that he loathed being thanked with words.

The reason Shigure felt comfortable around Rin was because they were so much alike. They'd both do whatever they needed to to achieve their goals.

Rin walked over to the desk once more, picking up the draft of his newest book. "It's called 'Shadow'… Aren't your novels romance? This one's depressing."

Shigure gave her a half smile. "Really? But it _is_ a romance."

"I read three chapters. They hate each other!"

"It seems that way, doesn't it?"

Rin looked annoyed at that response. He'd dodged her. Again. "You're not going to explain, are you?"

Shigure just winked at her, saying merely, "The book's coming out this month. You'll just have to wait for it, won't you?"

* * *

Akito was staring out of her window, watching the white bird flutter around the garden just outside her room. Kureno had returned, and was currently reading a book at a table in the large room.

Akito turned, walking towards the table, her yukata that was too long for her sliding across the floor, sounding very much like a snake. She leaned her upper body on the table, looking intently at the book that the man was reading. "Kureno… Do you read any of Shigure's books?"

Kureno looked up as she spoke. After his mind processed the question, he replied, "Yes, I've read a few."

Akito looked thoughtful, saying then, "What does he write about?" Of course, she already knew, but she wanted to know Kureno's opinion.

"He writes romance novels, usually. I hear a new book is coming out this month, it sounds interesting… why?"

"None of your concern." She then moved back to the window. The bird was gone. She began to think. Why wouldn't Shigure tell her what the book was about? It was a 'secret.' But _why _was it a secret? That was the strange part.

"What is his new book about?" Akito looked over at Kureno, who now knew that Akito was deeply curious about the book and not just trying to make conversation.

"I don't know, sorry…"

Akito frowned slightly, muttering, "Figures." She turned, looking out the window once more.

* * *

That's the end of chapter 2! I'll be writing this fairly quickly, since I'm really into it and I have a lot of it planned out. 

Please read and review, and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:**

SnoFlurri - Yeah, reviews would be helpful. ; It helps me see how I'm doing. Also, I'm writing it quickly because I get the ideas and if I ignore it, I'll forget. I have the outline up to Chapter 8 written already.

Super Llama Chick - I liked that line, too. My friend said that was the best line from the whole thing, but there'll be some funny moments coming soon.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Two weeks later, Shigure was sitting out in front of his house, a book in his hands. It was autumn, his favorite season - he loved sitting outside in the warm air, watching the leaves change colors and dance through the air. The sun felt much softer in this season than it did in summer, though it seemed to have more attitude than spring. He didn't like to admit it, but he was always touched by mother nature's beauty.

Hearing a twig snap, he looked up, seeing someone come down the path. Whoever it was, he or she walked very noisily. As the person got closer, a slight smile appeared on his face. It was Mii, his editor. Shigure didn't have a deadline today, but she was scheduled to bring his preview copy of the book, which was coming out next week. He'd completely forgotten.

He stood as she came down the path, knowing that she was expecting the worst from him today, but since he wasn't supposed to give her anything, the worst he could do was tease her. A goofy smile plastered on his face, he raised one hand to greet her. "Ah, Micchan, I didn't know you were coming."

The woman looked reluctant to be there. "At least you didn't run away this time… here, it's your preview copy." She held out a small package to him.

Taking the package from her, the man peered at it curiously. It had an interesting cover. He hadn't had a chance to preview the cover art, so he told Mii to choose. "What's this supposed to be?"

"It's your book, Shadow…"

"I know, but what's the picture?"

Sighing, she looked at it, then said, "It's supposed to be the shadow of a woman. She's standing under a streetlight, so she looks dark. That's what you said you wanted, sensei."

"Did I really say that? Oh, you must've heard me wrong, your ears really are very bad, Micchan," the man teased.

He hummed to himself as he studied the new book, not even noticing the look on the woman's face. She looked upset, like he'd just made her feel even more depressed than usual. He then raised the hand with the book in it slightly, saying, "Well, I really must be going now, it was nice seeing you again, huh, Micchan? I'll see you at my next deadline." He then walked past her, leaving her on her knees in front of his house. He had one thing on his mind:

Surprise visit.

* * *

Reaching the main house, the man opened the gate and let himself in. The inside was beautiful. Since his last visit, the gardeners had replanted the front garden to make it look more like an autumn layout. He hummed to himself as he walked in, seeing the flowers that were more dark red and brown than green. Autumn really was beautiful.

He walked down towards Hatori's office, knowing that he hadn't seen the man in a very long time. Of course, he wouldn't be in his house, since he was working. The man really was a work-a-holic, and needed to take a break once in a while. Shigure didn't seem to realize he caused more stress in the doctor than most.

Shigure knocked on the rice-paper door, a childish grin on his face as it slid open. "Haa-san, long time no…" The door slammed shut in his face. "…see? How rude!" He slowly opened the door, seeing the doctor walking back towards his desk. Shigure opened the door the rest of the way, walking in after the doctor, slipping his shoes off as he did so.

"Haa-san, why do you always act like that? It's as if you don't want to see me!"

Hatori's temple throbbed slightly as he responded, "It's because I don't."

Shigure let fake tears stream down his cheeks. "Haa-san, you're so mean!" With that, he tossed his preview copy on Hatori's desk.

"What's this?" The doctor picked it up, glancing at the back cover's summary.

"It's my newest book. It comes out next week!" Smiling widely, he went over to sit on the couch. "I brought it over to give to Akito. I have a feeling he'll want to see it."

"Why would he?" Although they both knew Akito's secret, they both called her a 'he' where others might hear them.

Smiling knowingly, Shigure raised a finger. "I told him I was dedicating it to him. I have no doubt he's been writhing with curiosity for two weeks."

Hatori shook his head, setting the book aside as he continued to fill out some forms he'd been working on when Shigure'd arrived. "Just don't get a swelled head if he is that curious. It might just be a downer to him."

Shigure smiled slightly, though he didn't respond to that question. He stood, grabbing the book. "I'll call you soon, Haa-san, I think it's about time you gave us a check-up. I really do have to go see Akito now."

Shigure walked out of the room, slipping his shoes off, waving goodbye to the doctor. "Bye, Haa-san!" He then turned, walking down the path to Akito's house.

* * *

Akito was currently sitting alone in her room, reminiscing about many things. Her mind had been wandering a lot since Shigure had last visited, and she'd actually read one of his books. It disgusted her. How could he write like that? The stories were all so… disgusting. All these women who fell in love with these men who were already married, and then they ended up getting together anyway. All the books were the same, she'd read the summaries of some others.

Then, there was a knock on the door. She had a splitting headache at the moment, and the noise jarred it back into motion, now eating at her brain again. "Who is it?" Her voice was sharp and meant to sound like she didn't want to be bothered.

The voice that came back made her blink and sit up slightly. "Akito, it's me, Shigure. May I come in?"

Akito hesitated. What did he want? Was he going to rub it in her face that she didn't know what the book was about? Well, what if he'd come for something else? "…Fine."

As the door slid open, the author blinked. It was very dark in there. "Akito-san, may I turn on a light? I can't see in here."

"Do what you want. …I see you learned to knock this time." The retort was meant to sting the author, but he didn't seem phased.

The light flicked on and Akito winced slightly. The light was boring into her skull. She needed an Advil.

"Where's Kureno?" This time it was Shigure who spoke. Akito looked over at him, then said, "He's out. What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing really. I brought you a preview copy of my book." He held the book up, saying, "I thought you would want to see it."

She sat up, grabbing the book a little too quickly. Realizing she seemed too eager, she just set it on the floor in front of her. "Is that all?"

He nodded, a slight smile on his face. He knew she would want to be alone while she read it. "Of course."

"Then leave." She returned to leaning against the wall.

Standing up, he said, "Do you want me to turn off the light?"

She turned her face away from him, saying, "Leave it on."

A knowing smile lit his lips as she said that. "…Of course. See you later, Akito-san." With that, the author left the room.

After a few minutes of staring off into space, the god picked up the book. It was surprisingly thick, much thicker than his other books. She opened it, flicking to the dedication.

* * *

**Shadow - Dedication**

Hello, this is Shigure Sohma. As I wrote this book, my editor suggested that I dedicate it to someone. It has been a very long time since I've written a dedication, and I decided to make this one unique.

Most authors dedicate their books to their parents or lovers or something of the sort - it's so cliché. So, I decided to be different.

This book is dedicated to my shadow - the one who cares but does not. The one who I reach out to but I can never touch.

This book is dedicated to the one who loves one but touches many. The one that cannot be without light but acts only in darkness. The one who loves all but shows only hate.

The shadow will read this book and understand that it is that person who I am talking to. I hope you recognize the various characters in this book, as I have written it solely to you.

* * *

**Author's note**

This is the end of chapter three! I am planning on writing in parts of Shadow in as well, but I can't guarantee that. I'm not good at writing original fictions ;

Please Read and Review to let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note**

Laily – I'm planning on more Hatori in later, but I won't say when because I don't want to give anything away. Thanks for the compliments!

Alice – Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. It took forever to figure out what to say.

Reader – Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely do that.

Someone – Thank you very much, that means a lot to me.

Thanks for reading!

The stuff in bold and italics are from Shadow.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Akito frowned as she read the dedication. It really was very accusing-sounding. She seethed for a moment, thoughts like 'how dare he!' running through her mind. It was her choice how to treat him, after all. _She _was god, and he was just a _dog_. She had the _right_ to tell him what to do… it was all she really had in the long run, after all.

She turned to the next page, grudgingly reading on.

_**Shadow – Chapter 1**_

_**Darkness. All she could see around was darkness, save for the brief illuminations given off by the streetlamps. The woman put on a tough front and continued through the dark street, reveling in the small amounts of light given by the flickering lamps and the headlights of the occasional cars rushing through the rain-soaked street.**_

_**Her heels clicked noisily on the asphalt, causing an echo to ring through the empty avenue, raising the levels of paranoia in her head. It was **_**too****_ empty. Memories flickered through her brain of the past, flashbacks that continued to haunt her from ten years ago._**

Ten years ago… that was almost when Shigure had told her he loved her. That was quite a coincidence.

_**Short, glossy black hair was ruffled by the wind, which came in brief agitated bursts out of nowhere. The woman frowned, her deathly pale face contrasting against the scarlet lips that were pulled down in a scowl. Her grip tightened on her umbrella as it threatened to fly away, knowing that it was her only protection from the pelting rain, and oddly enough, seemed to comfort her from the loneliness that was trying to consume her.**_

_**She was alone on this night, this utterly depressing night – and she couldn't stand it.**_

_**In a bad mood, the woman seemed to hate everything. She glared at the hollow buildings as she walked past them, she glared at the graffiti on the walls, and she even glared at the clouds that blocked out the moon. Who wouldn't hate a night like this? That was how she reasoned it. But the truth was, she was afraid of it.**_

_**She was afraid to admit that she was scared, especially because of the impending memories that seemed about to consume her soul.**_

_**And then, the woman heard footsteps. That was a sound strangely welcoming yet frightening at the same time. It was on a night much like this that the… the **_**incident****_ occurred, but she was scared to be alone. She continued on, trying to reach her house before anything else happened, her pace quickening in an attempt to keep from being noticed. The corner on the end of that block was the final turn to get to her house… but the footsteps seemed to be getting louder…_**

_**A sudden impact and fall jarred her out of her concerns, placing new, more immediate ones on her. She'd run into someone as she attempted to turn, and she felt strong hands upon her, trying to pull her up. She screamed, reliving that night… she pulled herself out of the person's grip, falling to her knees, the umbrella that had been her only companion flying away in the wind.**_

"_**No! Please, don't hurt me! Leave me alone!"**_

"_**Hmm? What's wrong? I was only trying to help you up… It's my fault, I'm really very clumsy, as you can tell."**_

_**The woman looked up, peering through her fingers at the person. It was a man, a tall, confused-looking man. As she gazed at him, something hit her - he looked stupid.**_

Akito frowned. Was Shigure mocking her? He had duplicated her way of thinking of him. He really did look stupid most of the time.

"…_**Are you all right, miss?" The man's eyes were concerned. His dark hair, which seemed just barely within her mind's tolerable hair length description, was currently getting into his eyes and his hand was frequently moving to wipe it away.**_

"_**You should watch where you're going." Her voice was seething with sarcasm intended to embarrass him, but he didn't seem bothered, and only smiled wider.**_

"_**Yes, I really should. Are you okay? It's dangerous to be walking alone at this time of night, and I think I caused you to lose your umbrella…" He laughed slightly. "An umbrella is a handy weapon. Just close it, and it becomes quite a painful club!"**_

_**The woman glared over at him as she stood up, wiping herself off and tried to regain her dignity. "And you would know this… how?"**_

_**The man merely raised a finger, saying, "I think I will decline to answer that, miss…?" He trailed off, attempting to hint that he still didn't know her name.**_

"_**First tell me who you are."**_

"_**Oh, I haven't told you yet? How rude." He bowed slightly, his dirty shirt and jeans making him look rather ridiculous in that polite position. "I am Naozumi Takaya, it's nice to meet you."**_

_**For some reason, this entertained her enough to let her name slip. "I'm… Yuri Kamiyama…"**_

The book was slammed shut at that point, as the first chapter had ended. Although Akito hated to admit it, she really did see herself in that woman. It upset her, though. Did she really act like that? …No, she didn't. How could he interpret her to be that way?

Thinking about it, she continued to get more and more angry with him. He was arrogant, self-righteous, and manipulating. He had written this book for the sole purpose of humiliating her and making her angry. She was sure of it. So, naturally… she needed to teach him not to test her like that.

The woman stood, a scowl decorating her face as she stalked down the hall towards the car that she drove once in a while. She had dressed in western-style clothes earlier that day, so she didn't feel the need to change again. She started the car, driving towards the house of that author.

* * *

Shigure was currently in his office, listening as Kyo and Yuki had another one of their ear-throbbing arguments. It was annoying, really - they wouldn't sit still, and when it finally was peaceful, Kyo would get annoyed about something completely trivial and Yuki would have to comment on it. It always escalated. 

Then, Shigure heard a rather threatening knock on the door. He opened the door to his office, but Yuki had gotten there first. He slid the door open, saying in his soft voice, "Hello, can I help…" His lavender eyes widened slightly as he saw who was on the other side. "…Akito… san…?"

* * *

**Author's note**

Well, I managed to write the first chapter of Shadow, but it could've been better… Thanks for the positive reviews and tips, they really helped me in writing this chapter! I hope you enjoy it. Please review and let me know what you think!


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